1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a hybrid vehicle and, more particularly, to a hybrid vehicle including an engine that is able to output driving power and to which a purification device having a purification catalyst for purifying exhaust gas is connected, a motor that is able to output driving power, a battery that is able to exchange electric power with the motor, and a navigation system that sets a travel route to a destination and carries out route guidance.
2. Description of Related Art
A hybrid vehicle includes a motor generator and an engine that drive wheels. The hybrid vehicle executes control for switching between an EV mode and an HV mode. In the EV mode, the vehicle is caused to travel in a state where the engine is stopped. In the HV mode, the vehicle is caused to travel in a state where the engine is operated. The timing of switching from the EV mode to the HV mode is predicted on the basis of information from an in-vehicle car navigation system, an ETC in-vehicle device, or the like, and then, for example, the engine is warmed up and a catalyst device for purifying exhaust gas from the engine is preheated in advance of the predicted timing (for example, see Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2007-176392 (JP 2007-176392A)). In this hybrid vehicle, deterioration of fuel economy and emissions is suppressed through the above process.